Difference Between Then and Than | Then vs Than

What is the Difference Between Then and Than

Summary: Difference Between Then and Than is that The word ‘than’ is employed to indicate comparison and could be a conjunction(A conjunction could be a word that joins 2 sentences). On the opposite hand, the word ‘then’ is employed either to indicate a sequence of events or a way of your time. browse the examples fastidiously to grasp.

THAN

Definitions of than:

Than is used for comparison after comparative adjective or adverb introducing the second member

Grammarians have a number of rules concerning than. In formal grammar, than is not a preposition to govern the oblique case (although it has been used as such by writers such as William Shakespeare, whose 1600 play Julius Caesar contains the line A man no mightier than thyself or me. . . , and Samuel Johnson, who wrote No man had ever more discernment than him, in finding out the ridiculous.). Than functions as both conjunction and preposition; when it is used as a conjunction, it governs the nominative case, and when a preposition, the oblique case. To determine the case of a pronoun following than, a writer can look to implied words and determine how they would relate to the pronoun.

Examples:

You are a better swimmer than she.

Represents you are a better swimmer than she is.

Therefore you are a better swimmer than her is a solecism.

They like you more than her.

Represents they like you more than they like her.

Therefore they like you more than she is a solecism,

If it attempts to represent the previous sentence. It may be correct, however, if it represents they like you more than she likes you.

Some grammarians insist that whom must follow than (not who); although according to the above rule, who would be the “correct” form. Critics of this often cite this mandatory exception as evidence that the grammarian rule is logically erroneous, in addition to it being inconsistent with well-established usage.

Then doesn’t meet the full criteria of a coordinating conjunction. Like so and yet, it can be paired with and, but, and or:

I walked to the bus stop, but then I decided to take the train.

I will study all day, and then I’ll take a nap, or then I’ll take a walk.

While then can’t be modified, it can only join specific types of clauses and the order of the clauses can’t be switched, similar to so and for:

I will bring a notebook, then a pen. ≠ I will bring a notebook and a pen.

I walked to the bus stop, then I decided to take the train. ≠ I decided to take the train, then I walked to the bus stop.

The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language identifies so as like a conjunctive adverb, like however, and for as similar to subordinating conjunctions, like because. If I had to categorize then, I’d say it’s more like because and for because the order of the items is generally important.

Is “Then” an Adjective, Adverb, Noun or Co-ordinating Conjunction?

Then can be used as an adjective, adverb, noun and coordinating conjunction. It is adjective when it comes before the noun.